


The Gumball Machine

by Ailelie, Cinaed



Series: Enduring Legends [17]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Male-Female Friendship, No season 4 spoilers, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-13
Updated: 2011-12-13
Packaged: 2017-10-27 08:03:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/293514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/pseuds/Ailelie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Gavin and Gwen bicker over a bill and talk a little of dreams.</p><p><em>Tuesday, December 13 2011</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gumball Machine

_Tuesday, December 13 2011_

"I suppose I should get this then," Gwen said, closing her hand over the receipt. "I did promise you pizza for helping Elliot."

Gavin scratched awkwardly at his neck. "I only said that to get you to come out to lunch," he said. "I can pay my half."

"It's all right," Gwen said with a kind smile. "I don't mind." She picked up the slip of paper and slid out of the booth.

He winced. "And now I insist." He plucked the paper from her fingers. "In fact, I'll pay for the entirety."

"Gavin," Gwen said, somewhat disapproving. She wasn't sure what Gavin did when he wasn't volunteering, but she knew it never left him flush with cash. She reached for the receipt, but he pulled it high overhead.

"I've got it, Gwen," he said, too seriously. Then he smiled. "Consider it payback for all the cookies."

"Those were Elliot's," she pointed out.

Gavin shrugged. "Close enough."

"Just let me pay," Gwen said, holding out her hand.

Gavin stepped back. "You can pay me back half," he said. Then he turned and half-jogged up to the register.

Gwen bit her lip, but didn't insist anymore, not wanting to make a scene. She slipped on her coat and scarf, and then grabbed Gavin's things he'd left behind. His coat was old, but of good quality. The scarf was long, bright green, and filled with knots and gaps. "Did Elle make this for you?" Gwen asked, holding up the scarf as she reached the register.

Gavin took the scarf and wrapped it twice around his neck. "Yeah. She finished this weekend. Suits me, doesn't it?"

The color was ridiculous, but it did match him well. "It's wonderful." She held out his coat to him. Gavin slid in one arm, then paused to sign the receipt before continuing to pull the coat fully on and buttoning it up. "You really didn't have to pay," Gwen said, watching him.

"Christmas bonus," he said. "What better way to spend it than on friends?"

"That was my Christmas present?" Gwen asked. "Had I known, I might have saved a piece."

"Shh," Gavin said. "The others might get jealous I got you something special."

Gwen laughed. "Then I'll just have to find some way of making us even so it doesn't count," she said. "Maybe I can braid your hair for you or—"she noticed a row of gumball machines along the entry way to the door"—I can get you a—"she looked down the various options, fake tattoos, bouncy balls, sticky dinosaurs—"dragon necklace."

"I don't know," Gavin said, bending over her shoulder. "Looks a bit rich for me."

"Hush," she said. Gwen put in her coins and turned the knob. A large capsule butted against the thin metal flap. "Merry Christmas," she said, handing the capsule to Gavin.

Gavin took it, looking amused. "You give the best gifts, Gwen," he said, opening it and pulling out a black cord with a round, metal pendant hanging from it. The cord was too small for him to wear around his neck, so he wrapped it twice around his wrist and held his hand up for Gwen to see. "I'll treasure it al—" He stopped, his head suddenly turning to look behind him. "Did you hear that?" he asked, sharply.

Gwen's eyes widened. "No," she said. "What did you hear?"

He frowned. "It must have been nothing." Yet, the tension in his shoulders and the tightness in his mouth belied his words. The stance was frustratingly familiar; Gwen recognized it from her mirror. His body clenched, and Gwen wondered if he was hearing something again.

"I have something to tell you," she said slowly, hoping she wasn't making a terrible mistake. "But I'm not certain I should."

"I can keep a secret," Gavin said, furrowing his brow at her.

Gwen smiled ruefully. "You'll think me strange, I'm afraid," she said.

"Gwen," Gavin said, gesturing to himself, brows raised.

"Well," she said, affecting a teasing tone. He raised his brows further and held out his hands in an expectant pose. "Oh, all right. I had a dream."

"Fairly typical," Gavin said, holding open the door for her. "I'd have thought you'd learned that in med school."

She glared at him. "About Arthur."

Now he grinned. "Also fairly typical. One might even say expected."

" _Before_ I met him," Gwen clarified, before he could run his mouth any further and make her cheeks warm any more.

"All right, now there you've got me. Are you sure?"

"Completely. I know it's crazy. I thought it was just a dream."

"Maybe it's fate," he offered.

"I don't believe in fate. Then again, I don't believe in—well, it's impossible anyway."

"I don't know," Gavin said, pausing by the steps leading down to the subway. "This does seem to be the season for 'impossible.'"

"What do you mean?"

"Ambrose never told you about his candle trick?" He sounded surprised. "One minute the candle was out, the next, whoosh, flames." The wind picked up around them; Gwen rearranged her scarf, closing gaps.

"When was this?" she asked, distractedly.

"At his birthday party. He put it out with just a word, too."

Gwen looked up from her scarf. "He did magic," she said, without the slightest doubt.

Gavin shrugged, his hands now shoved deep into his coat pockets. "It looked that way. He seemed to think it could be something chemical." Gwen knew it wasn't. "Well," Gavin said, after an awkward moment of silence. "I should get to my train." He motioned backward toward the steps with one shoulder.

"Of course," Gwen said. "And I have a bus to catch. Sorry. It was fantastic getting lunch with you." She gave him a quick hug.

"Likewise." Gavin tightened his arms around her before she could step back. "You need to stop being so busy."

She smiled. "I'll try. Oh, and Gavin—" she stopped him a few steps from street level. He looked back at her. "If you start having strange or impossible dreams of your own, call me."

"No offense, Gwen, but I really hope I don't start dreaming of Arthur. He's plenty attractive, sure, but I'm happy with Elle."

Gwen made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat, causing Gavin to laugh. "That's not what I meant."

"I know," he said. He crossed one hand over his heart, as though pledging to the flag. The dragon pendant hung over his cuff. "I promise. Any strange dreams and you're my first call. Be warned, my dreams have been known to feature houses made of pudding and feathered bananas."

"Go catch your train," Gwen said, shaking her head. Gavin flashed another amused grin and then jogged down the steps to the subway, whistling. Gwen worried at her lip once more, wondering which she hoped for more, that he did get the strange dreams of an impossible past or that he didn't.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This section was written by Ailelie, beta'd by Cinaed.
> 
> If you've suggestions for carols, please share. :)


End file.
